A pre-dawn fire destroyed a two-family home and left nine people homeless Saturday morning.

Mechanicville Fire Chief Jeff Alonzo said all nine people made it out of the wood-frame home at 14 Penrose Ave. safely, as did one cat, though another feline died in the two-alarm blaze.

Crews were toned out at 3:29 a.m. after the inferno was sparked on the second-floor enclosed porch. Alonzo said it appeared to be accidental and may have been started by an electrical malfunction. Investigators had not given their official determination by early Saturday afternoon.

When Alonzo arrived, the blaze had engulfed the backside of the second floor and had begun another fire on the first-floor porch. Crews were able to get inside to knock the fire down, though Alonzo said it took nearly 45 minutes to get the fire under control. Because of the house's old-style construction, it went up in flames quickly.

"Houses that old — this one probably came from maybe the '30s or the '40s — they're rough and tough, but when there's fire, fire is able to spread," Alonzo said.

Though the home was a total loss, firefighters were able to save two other homes just feet away. Alonzo said one home roughly three feet from the inferno escaped with only melted siding.

"The fire was at least contained to the fire building," he said. "It got a pretty big head start on us, that's for sure. But nobody was injured. My guys worked hard."

Alonzo said the building's owners, who live in Massachusetts, have insurance. While the structure is still standing, Alonzo said they may have to tear it down build anew.